St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-05
The Devils Lake Country.

Inc Devil Lake country.
DEVILS LAKE Oct 24-"Man wants but
little here below, nor wants that little long"
may have been true of the generation in
which it was written. but robbed of all
poetry, imam wants ali he can get and is
continually schemfng with that end in view
is much more applicable to the present day.
This want is what induces us to seek the
most favorable spot in which to ''cast an
Choir hoping thereby to insure for our
Il help to old age With this end in view
mankind is on n continual ''qui.. vive" TO dis
cover new eldoradoes, and often too eagerly
devours boom sheets which are scattered
broadcast for the purpose, in many cases
victimizing the people. This desire to better
fortune is what induced the writer to leave
the Banner county OF Kansas and tackle the
|. uptried blizzard of Dakota winter: and on
Nov. 8. 1882, | was comfortably housed in
two-story log house on the classic and his
toric bank of Devils lake. The aforesaid
house was built in advance of the iron
horse, and seemed proud in the title of being
the first house, and only one may add, Ill
the town plat, that had for its head lines,
Green City. since changed TO Devils Lake.
In May, 1888, was built the first store, but
so rapid became the growth that build
ings were erected as if by magic,
and as is the case with most new town, it was
RACED to the ground by fire in July, 1884.
Hastily shaking the ashes under her feet, she
again sprang into life. this time lining her
business streets with handsome brick blocks,
and to-day at the age of four years, and with
a population of I.5OO souls, She stands pro-
nounced as the leading business center of
North Dakota. The business men of Devils
Lake came here in the early days, with brains
and bare hands as their stock in trade. ard.
being alive to the needs of the country, and
by their upright dealings herewith. have
built up a trade that is and will be as lasting
as the hills.
The religious element is on an equally sub
etc al tir1O and hay rry1p
houses of worship and enjoying vigorous
growth. are Methodist. Presbyterian, Catholic
and EpiscOpalian. In addition to these may
be mentioned the Baptists, who are seriously
considering the erection of an elegant and
commodious structure. Free schools are in
a vigorous state of advancement. and have
an enrolment of 200 pupils. Several orders
are also well represented. and these, coupled
with large societies of c. l.. S. c. and home
literary circles, betoken, in an undesirable
manner, the social and religious advance
ment that is accorded new towns with four
years growth.
Here is located the United States land
Office, having III charge body of 100000
! acres of as fine land as can be had in any
state, and the bulk of which is capable of
producing No. l hard wheat, the cereal that
has made Dakota famous the world over.
Now reader let me present you with some
facts. This soil is not capable of drouth, being
composed of a rich black loan, two or three
feet deep. with clay subsoil. This latter.
freezing i'll winter to a depth of three or
four feet, retains moisture the following
summer, until crops are well on the road to
maturity. This moisture. obtained from the
ground as the frost eyaporates. keeps the
roots cool and moist and in healthy cOndi-
ton, and i'll the absence OF rain, which Is not
common, this prevents what would other
wise be termed drouth-and every Kansau
knows what the term means.
Not least among the benefits of a cool sur
face in spring is the fact that any eggs that
dpDOSifP6 N
other insects will not hatch. which renders
this section of country peculiarly free from
insects-insomuch that the chinch bug is I'M
known, nor can be founu any specimen of
potato bug. corn worm, or, in fact, any of the
pests that SO ruthlessly destroy the gardens
and products of the husbandman of warmer
sections. When the ground Is properly pre-
pared failures III wheat or other cereals are
unknown, which, as said before, is due to
the causes above cited. l may say further,
that only sixty to seventy-five days are con-
sumed between sowing ana harvesting, thus
rendering cereals less liable to destruction
from storms than where they are planted in
the fall and exposed to the frosts of winter.
This quick growth also enables the farmer
to quickly dispose of his crop. and engage in
making improvements, or other profitable
work outside of the farm.
Stock-raising is nowhere carried on with
more vigor and success, and the tendency is
toward the high grades-a number of thor
Oughbred Holsteins, shorthorns and Polled
a
country alone, which is in only just proportion
to the stock industry of the adjoining sec
tons. The native grasses or this section are
luxuriant and second to none in point OF
strength and quality Tame grasses grow in
abundance, and include such as timothy,
blue grass. clover and orchard grass.
The garden is indispensable to the farmer,
and fiourishes beyond all attempts of descrip-
ton, including all kinds and every variety
known to Southern producers. This is owing
to the tight clay subsoil, retaining the moist
ure from spring rains, together with the in
cessant heavy dews and cool nights, and, to-
gether with this the long days of sunshine,
over nineteen hours or day through the
growing season.
The waters of DEVILS lake or Minnewau
kOn-an inland seals salt, consisting of
chloride of sodium, and with trace of iron.
Its specific gravity is about 1.0O4. The lake
affords fine sport for the novice, as well as
the expert. Fish of the piekerel family can
be caught in abundance. Bathing is truly
sea-like in its character, as the waves come
surging up the long sandy beaches. The
breeZes and heavy waves make desirable
facilities for boating. Its classic banks are
lined with beautiful groves, and nu-
merous bOulders of granite and limestone
with sandy beaches. Its shores are broken
by thousands of indentures and bays, max
ing over $50 miles of shore, while its dimen-
sion are % miles long and $50 wide.
In word, this country offers special in
ducements to the farmer. mechanic, mer-
pleasure seeker. l would say to the latter.
come and enjoy for one season the summer
months, that are free from heat and contain
in them the ingredients that will build up the
most weakened constitution. 1t is in the air.
Sufferers from drOuth. come and build for
yourself home, from heat and bugs.
The mounds is the best spot on earth for
the geologist and scientist and lovers of the
study. Here, surrounding the lake, was the
home of prehistoric mantle ancient race of
mound builders-and those interested in the
work can dig from the earth skulls,
skeletons, baskets, pipes, bone ornaments,
bracelets and trinkets worn by some dusky
maiden of perhaps of 1000 years ago, and
many other curiosities that were buried with
these ancients according to their rank. In
the geological field can be found all manner
of boulders, field spar. hornblend, chace
dony, jasper, agate and countless other varie.
ties, showing the wearing and grinding of
these massive rocks as they were forced from
the earth during the glacial period.
! advise those coming to this country to
come via the st. Paul, Minneapolis d Mani
toba railroad to DEVILS Lake. EDGAR RUE.